Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Thailand adopted its current constitution following an August 19, 2007, referendum. The Puea Thai Party won a landslide victory in free and fair elections July 3, 2011. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is now Thailand’s first female prime minister.

Approximately 95 percent of the population is ethnically Thai and Buddhist, with Muslim and Christian minorities. Standard Thai is the official language of Thailand and is spoken in every province, although many areas also have a local dialect, and a variant of Malay is widely spoken in the deep south. Most Thais working in the tourist industry and in other businesses dealing with foreigners can speak at least rudimentary English.

Thailand is a popular travel destination, and tourist facilities and services are available throughout the country. At many tourist attractions, including national parks, foreigners are charged admission fees up to ten times higher than those charged to Thais.